Supporting chair for reenforcing bars



April 1934- R. T. TORKELSON ,301

SUPPORTING CHAIR FOR REENFORCING BARS Filed Aug. 30. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR,

ATTORNEY.

April 1934. R. T. TORKELSON 1,954,301

SUPPORTING CHAIR FOR REENFORCING BARS Filed Aug. 50, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATE SUPPORTING CHAIR FOR REENFORCING BARS Reinhard T. Torkelson, Springfield, Mass; Ida Torkelson administratrix of said Reinhard T.

Torkelson, deceased Application August 30,

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in supporting chairs for reenforcing bars.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical chair construction for reenforcing bars, which are employed in concrete construction that combine, in a single unit, means for adequately supporting the reenforcing bars and means for clamping the reenforcing bars together to prevent relative movement. It is customary, in concrete construction, and especially in road work, to assemble the reenforcing bars for a whole unit at some convenient point, more or less distant from the place of installation, and then to transport the assembled units or mats to their location and set them in place. it is, therefore, important that the reenforcing bars be secured together definitely and firmly, in order to retain the intended design and spacing of the bars in the assembled mat, during the vi bration, jolting, and twisting incident to transportation over the finished roadway. My chair has been designed to satisfactorily meet'these conditions.

Broadly, my invention comprises a sheet metal standard which is formed with a base portion, a pedestal or standard member formed with a notch at the top portion and a plurality of horizontally extending finger-like members having their outer, or extreme ends turned downwardly, and a spring clamping member pivotally secured to the base portion for automatically locking the reenforcing bars together.

A preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the chair with a pair of oppositely extending and crossed reenforcing bars secured therein.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the same looking from the left hand.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the spring clamping member, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are for a modification.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout:

The chair member proper, 1, is formed from a single flat sheet of metal, and is first formed with the slot or opening 2 and notch 3. The fiat sheet is then bent through approximately 180 degrees back upon itself at the approximate center, or mid-length of the opening 2, thus forming the bearings 4, and the base portion 5. A second bend 6, at approximately right angles to the base 5, forms the upright portion, or standard 7.

1932, Serial No. 631,020

The upwardly extending portions 8, at each side of the notch 3, are bent at 9, to form the hori zontally extending fingers 10, which, in turn, have their outer extremities bent at 11, to form the downwardly projecting hook portions 12. A spring clamping member 13 of heavy spring wire is formed in an inverted U-shape with the ends l i bent outward and pivotally secured in the bearings 4. The arms 15 of the member 13 are curved, as illustrated in Fig. 3, in order to bear against the standard '7, when in clamping position and maintain the supporting portion 16 at a spaced relation with the standard 7 and notch 3. The portion 16 is slightly indented 16 to insure a secure hearing, or support, at the corners of a reenforcing bar resting thereon.

In operation, for assembling the chair and reenforcing rods, the spring clamping member 13 is tipped downwardly, as shown by the dotted line position in Fig. 3. A reenforcing bar 20 is then inserted in the notch 3. A second transverse reenforcing bar 21 is then laid on the bar 20, the bar 20 being tipped downwardly to permit in ertion of the bar 21, under the fingers 10. The two bars 26 and 21 are then raised into position and the clamping member 13 sprung into position, under the bar 20. The member 13 is so formed, as to position the supporting member 16 between the bearings a and the standard 7, when sprung into clamping position, thus locking the member 13 in position. In other words, a toggle joint eifect is provided that is self-locking. It will be readily seen that each of the bars 20 and 21 have a three point bearing; the bar 20 being supported on the portion 16 of the member 13 and the opening 3 in the standard '7 with the bar 21 resting on the bar 20 between, or vertically above, these two supporting points, and the bar 21 hearing on the bar 20 and secured at the top by the fingers 10, on either side of the bar 20. This three point bearing for each rod securely holds them in position, and, as each rod is also secured against motion sidewise, the bar 20 by the sides of the notch 3 and the bar 21 by the standard 7 and hooks 12, the bars are, therefore, securely and permanently locked in proper relation to each other. Any inequalities in the dimensions of the bars is compensated for by the curved and yieldable spring arms 15 of the clamping member 13. It will be seen that there is no possibility of any relative movement of the bars in any direction, in either vertical or horizontal planes. The bent part 16 provides shoulders 16 for preventing any horizontal movements.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, 22 designates a standard construction for supporting the two pairs of re-enforcing rods, indicated at 23, 24, 25, and 26. This standard is formed with the upright rib 22' and the base portion 27 having the folded part 28, which extends upward with a strengthening rib 29. 30 and 31 are struck-up portions of the folded part 32 in which is rotatably mounted the arm 33. It is retained in place by the bent end portion 34. The arm 33 extends upward at 33 and is formed with the seat portions 35 and 35', which engage the underside of the rod 26. This rod rests on the bent end portion 36. The rod 25 rests on top of the rod 26 and is retained in place by the lip portion 37. After these two rods are assembled on the part 36, and in the lip portion 37, the rotatable looking member 35 is moved below the rod 26 turning in the struck-up portions 30 and 31. The part 38 serves as a handle, and, when in looking position, engages the rod 25, as shown in Fig. 6. It therefore serves the double purpose or" locking the rod 25 and also a handle. The rod 26 therefore has supports at 35, 35 and 36.

A similar construction is shown at the upper end of the standard 22, in which the struck-up portions 39 and 40 are formed to receive the part 33 of the locking construction for the rods 23 and 24. This locking member is constructed the same, as that previously described; the part 33 and the locking portion 35 engage the rod 24. The rod 24 rests on the shoulder 42 and the rod 23 rests on the rod 24 over which extends the bent portion 44 of the standard 22. When the part 38 is moved into its locking position, it engages the rod 23, thus holding it in the bent-over part 43.

The seat portions 35 and 35' of the clamping member are formed extending the part 35 upward; then under at 35; then along the opposite side of the rods 24 and 26, as shown at 35; then under at 35 and upward at 38. The cross rods are therefore firmly retained in place in all directions.

It will be seen from this construction that I have provided a double chair for reeniorced concrete having two sets of rods and means for quickly assembling the rods and for locking them in place.

What I claim is:

1. A chair for crossed reenforcing bars compris ing, in combination, a one-piece supporting mem'- ber formed with an integral upright portion, a flat base portion projecting in front of and back or" said upright portion, bearings formed at the front edge of said base portion, extending hooked finger elements formed at the upper end of said standard portion, said standard portion being formed with a notch adjacent said finger elements and extending downwardly below the top edge or" said standard portion, crossed reenforcing bars in said notch and a toggle clamping member formed or" spring wire in the shape of an inverted U and pivotally secured in the bearings formed on said base portion and engaging the upright and the lower crossed reenforcing bar.

2. A chair device for the purpose described, comprising a one-piece member having a flat base portion formed with openings, an upright notched portion rising from the center of the base, fingerlike portions adjacent the notched portion, a bar clamping spring having pivotal connection with the openings in the base portion, the construction and arrangement being such that when the reenzorcing bars are assembled in the notch and in the finger-like portions the clamp spring will operate as a toggle locking member.

3. A supportin and spacing device for crossed reenforcing bars comprising, in combination, a chair member formed from a single strip of sheet metal comprising a flat base portion, an integral upright bar-supporting portion rising from the center of the flat base portion and having spaced finger members formed at the top of said upright portion, the base portion having eyes forme therein at one end and a toggle spring-clamping member pivotally secured to said base member in the eyes ror engaging one bar and forcing the other bar into engagement with the finger members.

i. A chair device for reenr'orcing bars comprising in combination, a bar supporting member having bearings, a toggle-clamping member pivotally secured in the bearings on said supporting member, and bar-engaging portions spaced from the clamping member, the toggle-clamping memher having a U-shaped depression at its upper I end.

REINHARD T. TORKELSON. 

